


Through the Haze

by mizufallsfromkumo



Series: Till the End of the Line [1]
Category: Common Law
Genre: Alternate Universe - Marvel Avengers Fusion, Angst, Captain America!Travis, Captain America: The Winter Soldier Spoilers, Falcon!Randi, Friendship, Fury!Sutton, Gen, Marvel Universe, Memory Loss, Winter Soldier!Wes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-06
Updated: 2014-07-06
Packaged: 2018-02-07 18:00:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1908525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mizufallsfromkumo/pseuds/mizufallsfromkumo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He crashed and stumbled into the streets of a New York he didn’t know.  A world he didn’t know.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Through the Haze

**Author's Note:**

> I've been wanting to do this for a while, and benadrylisthegoodstuff made a post on tumblr that expanded to the Avengers and I couldn't pass it up any more.
> 
> I wrote this in like twelve hours (form 5pm to 5am). I hope you enjoy.

Travis remembered going down, taking the nose dive he put the plane into so he could save the world, and put an end to Hydra.  Closed his eyes and taking that one last breath, before the water shattered the glass and engulfed him.  It was over, the world was saved, and he could see Wes again.

 

But then he woke up, like it was all a bad dream.  He woke up to an apartment that he didn’t remember, with a radio playing a game he remembered going to.  The only reason he remembered going to it was because Wes told him he was considering joining the army.   The war in Europe, it’s going to suck us right in Travis, I bet you a dollar.  So he was sceptical of his reality, everything seemed too fake to be heaven.  Then there was a woman, telling him he was fine, recovering somewhere in New York.  He called BS, then booked it.

 

Straight out of a studio set up.  Straight through armed guards.  He crashed and stumbled into the streets of a New York he didn’t know.  A  world he didn’t know.  As he took it in, black cars surround him.  Then there was an older man, war torn and iron grit, Director Mike Sutton of SHIELD, told him they won the war, and he slept for seventy some years.

 

It was a crippling blow.   No no, it’s not fair.  He was suppose to die.  He had done his part, the world didn’t need him anymore.  But he hadn’t died, and now for the most part everyone he knew was dead.  

 

“One step at a time.”  Sutton said when he handed the files of everyone in his old life.  “And takes as much time for each step as you can.”

 

Slowly SHIELD interrogates him back into the world.  Introduces him to the 21st century, and Travis clings some of the normalities of his time.  Like the newspaper, the radio, records, and jazz/swing music.  He knew Wes was laughing at him up in heaven.  But the 21st century has it’s advantages, it’s just a slow processes and a serious culture shock.

 

He was thankful when Sutton came to him with a job, a mission, something for him to do other than face the crippling reality that everyone he’s ever cared about is gone.  Sutton doesn’t promise it to be much, but Travis doesn’t care.  Travis took the information Sutton gave him, and showed up at the location he was give.

 

There he meet Agent Alex Mcfarland.  Smart, beautiful, deadly Alex.   Oh Wes would have liked you.  He remembered thinking as they flew to another location.  There was nervousness too her, not a bad kind, sort of a star-studded nervousness.  She babbles a bit, but Travis just laughed it off, teased her back.  She smiled brightly at him, and her nervousness fades away into an excitement she hide well.  

 

They land on a ship with runaways.   Air Carrier he reminded himself of the military history lessons some SHIELD agent has given him.   There, Alex hands him off to Kate Cafferty, a spy Sutton had mentioned in passing.  Kate introduced him to Jonelle Coppola, who holds herself close and skirts around everyone.  Travis read about her.  An attempt to recreate what happened to him.  Jonelle glares at him and guards herself, but she shakes his hand but Travis is more considered about the brain in her head then the rage in her gut.

 

Kate called them inside, and Travis stares in awe as the ship takes flight, while Jonelle curses her luck.  For a while everything goes smoothly.  The alien (“Demi-god of sorts” Kate has corrected), Crowl, they were after turned up in Germany.  Alex shows him a new suit, and hands him his old shield, all polished and painted like new.  Then he goes with Kate to handle the threat.

 

It goes decently well, despite Kendall, the genius daughter of Howard Zehetner, and her special robotic suit crashing the party.   Crowl goes down and they take him in.  Only some man with a hammer yanks their ship open and takes him.  Kendall chases and Travis is left with a frustrating urge to kick something.  He has no choice but to grab a parachute and shout at Kate that he’s going after them.

 

Goddamnit, this probably what Wes felt like all the time. Travis that as he jumped out of the little plane they were in.  

 

He finds Kendall and Hammar man fighting in the woods, and he intervenes.  It takes some talking but everyone calms down.  Hammar man, or David Paek, Son of Asgard, as he introduced himself, didn’t have an issue with them, but Crowl.  It takes some talking out, but Paek comes with them back to the hellicarrier.

 

Kendall causes some sparks to fly, but they put her with Jonelle and she behaves.  Well not really, she just calls things as they are and Jonelle seems to like her.  They eat blueberries and talk science and scepticism.  Which caused Travis to go on a search of his own, because they point out some offness that bugs him.  Years as a poor orphan finally seemed to pay off.

 

Travis finds Hydra weapons, and he’s beyond pissed.  He doesn’t hesitate to supply the physical evidence to Kendall’s confrontation of Sutton.  However the conformation of Sutton turns into a spat of everyone.  Everyone was yelling and no one is really listening.  Then there’s a moment where Jonelle grabs Crowl’s weapon and they all go still, speaking in calmer tones.  Jonelle dropped it like it burned, but everyone is one edge.  Suddenly the whole carrier rocks and alarms sound.

 

Everyone scrambles.  Kate and Jonelle go through the floor.  Paek and Alex run to assess Crowl, and Sutton goes to central control.  Travis yells at Kendall to get her suit on so than can save the engine and stop the ship from falling out of the sky.    It’s happening again.

 

Kendall is quick in assessing the damage.  Travis fights off the few men that come to stop them, and he nearly falls off the ship in the process.  Kendall starts to yell at him about a panel.  “Give me a second Zehetner, no one explained hellicarrier mechanics and wiring to me in 21st Century orientation.”  Travis had yelled in the coms.

 

“No, it’s fine, take your time Cap, it’s not like I’m with a turbine that could kill me or anything.”  Kendall snapped back.

 

Travis did what he needed and Kendall comes flipping out of the turbine, and little scratched up, but fine.  She punched his arm once they were stable.  They head to the command deck of the ship, and it’s grim.

 

Meds are tending to people.  Sutton looks like some punched him in the gut will saying something to piss him off.  He tells them Crowl is gone.  Paek is gone, trapped in the glass case meant for Jonelle had she gone postal.  Which she had, and now she was MIA too.  Kate had subdued Amy, who had been under Crowl’s control.  Then Sutton threw the cards on the table.  The bloody vintage Captain America trading card that he remembered Alex said she had collect. 

 

Kendall touched at them lightly before she stormed out, and Travis just stares.  He sinks into a chair and turned to Sutton.  He hardly really knew Alex, but there was something about her that had clicked.  Not to mention there was something about her that just seemed like a flicker of Wes.  

 

“Is she…”

 

“No, but she’s barely alive.”  

 

Travis hung his head let it sink in.  Then he rose to find Kendall, because the way she had stormed off, he just knew.  She needed something.  She was pisssed when he found her, venom, rage, and  we’re not soldiers.  They talk briefly about Alex, not much, but enough.  Then something clicks about Crowl.  Kendall curses and races off, but Travis figured it out too and he goes to look for Kate.

 

Kate is tending to Amy, whose sore and pissed.  More than ready to knock a few heads around.  They don’t wait for orders they just go, and no one really stops them.  

 

When they reach New York, a hole opens in the sky and aliens are pouring out.  Somehow everyone gathers there.  Paek comes out of nowhere with his hammer and lightning, and Jonelle comes buzzing along on some old motorbike in clothes that are barely her size.  She’s beyond pissed too, transforming into the raging green monster, as Kendall so lightly but it.

 

They come together and they fought.  They fought hard.  It wasn’t easy, but they did it.  And for a second it was like the Howling Commandos, but not at the same time.  Hydra and aliens are two very different things.  Still it was impressive that six people took down an army of aliens.  Though they almost lost Kendall, but she clambered too babbling about food.  Travis just fell over laughing.

 

When its over they all went their separate ways.   Travis didn’t think much of it.  He stuck around in New York for a bit.  Cleaned and helped where he could for a few mounts.  Then SHIELD moved him to DC, and started sending him on regular missions.  He saw a lot more of Kate and Amy, though mostly Kate.  Not to mention Alex, she pulled throw beautifully.  She meets with him from time to time to talk.   He made a life for himself.

 

Travis made a sort of routine for himself, which helped get him adjusted.  He goes for a run every morning, at least three laps along the monuments in DC.  There he meet Randi and her dog Hudson.  She was a soldier too, and in the few words they exchange they got along, and petting Hudson was a plus.

 

Kate tries to get him dating.  Travis flirts, but he doesn’t date.  He doesn’t really want too.  Everyone he can relate too are old and dying.  Everyone who is his biological age there is a bit of a cultural gap.  Not a bad thing, but he’s hardly seen have the iconic movies everyone else has.  He’s still wading into the 21st century.  SHIELD took a much more forceful approach at getting him intergrated after New York.

 

Everything is good, till they’re not.  Sutton is keeping things from him, Travis doesn’t like that, even if it made sense.  Then one evening, Sutton breaks into his apartment, and gets shot in his living room.  Travis moves quickly, pulls Sutton away, and takes cover.  Suttons slides him a drive of some kind and tells him not to trust anyone, before Travis’ “neighbor” comes bursting into his door.  While they call for help, Travis catches the shooter making a run for it, and he bolts after them.

 

He corners them on a rooftop.  He threw his shield at them, but they turn with a trained ease and catches it.  They stare at them with a blank angry look.  Long blond hair and a muzzle of sorts prevent Travis from actually being able to make an ID.  Not that the shooter really gave him a chance.  They threw his shield back at him hard.  Knocked the breath out of Travis and send sliding back.  Once Travis was able to collected himself, the shooter was gone.  Completely vanished like a ghost.

 

In the end, the chase isn’t worth it, Sutton dies and Alex takes me him away with sad eyes.  Kate notes something off about him, but Travis shakes her off and hides the drive.  Travis took Sutton’s dying words to heart, and it proved to be the right thing.  Before he could blink he was SHIELD public enemy number one, and labeled a traitor.  

 

He run the moment he could.  He goes to find the drive, but Kate beat him there and waves it in his face.  Travis shoved her in a closet and demands to know what she knows, which is just as much him, annoyingly.  However she knows about the shooter.  The ghost assassin, who some people don't say exist.  The Winter Soldier.  They came face to face before.  

 

Suddenly they were in the mess together as much as it annoyed Travis, they both want answers.  However Kate gets them what they needed it, despite the fact that they’re both running form SHIELD.  They track drive back to Travis old training camp, and find the secret’s that were buried there.  Hydra alive and well, hiding in SHIELD.  It wasn’t easy to swallow, but they don’t have time, they have to duck under fire and run again.

 

Travis goes to Randi’s house on instinct.  She looks at them for a second, which is fair, they were at her back door looking like they had been through hell.  She ushered them inside quickly and closed the blinds.  Hudson wags his tail and greets them accordingly.  She gives them a place to rest and strategize, but then she’s in too.  Throwing down a file of her secrets with a smug little face.  Kate was impressed and Travis is too.

 

They make their move.  Go after some upper level SHIELD agent who they know is dirty and make him talk.  Kate enjoyed kicking him off a building, Travis liked roughing him up.  He did not freeze for seventy years for Hydra to win.  From there they head back to back to headquarters and stop the plan Hydra has.  If only it was that easy.

A loud thump sounded on Randi’s car, then their man was thrown into oncoming traffic.  Kate reacts and worms her way into Travis’ lap as whoever was on top of the car shoots into the back seat.  Travis pulled the parking brake sharply, and whoever was on their car launched forward.

 

Travis watched in horror as it was the shooter from the rooftop.  Long blonde hair and mental arm, the Winter Soldier.  The man rolls to his feet, and sinks his metal arm into the road to stop himself as he slid to a halt.  He rose slowly, every part of his face, except his forehead, was covered as he straightened up.  They all stare in shock.

 

Kate reached for her gun to fire, when they were hit from behind and forced forward.  Kate dropped her gun, and the blonde man just jumped back onto the car.  He grabbed onto the roof of the car as he body slammed down on the roof and broke the back window.  Randi muttered curses and she gripped the steering wheel and tried to get away.

 

Suddenly a hand comes through the windshield and yanks the steering wheel away.  Randi curses, and Kate fires off shots.  Travis watches the man land on the Hummer forcing them forward.  Randi just floors it, but there is no control, and the Hummer still surges forward.  The car starts to really lose control.

 

Travis just doesn’t think, he just grabs Randi and Kate.  The car starts to roll, and Travis uses his shield to knock the door from the frame.  They fall out onto the road, narrowly missed by the Hummer and other cars.  Travis loses his hold on Randi and she rolls to a stop some distance away from them.  Kate and Travis scramble to their feet.

 

The assassin hopped off the hood of the hummer with ease, and takes a gun that is handed to him.  He aims and fires.  Travis shoves Kate away and braces himself behind his shield. 

 The explosion launches him back through a bus window, then said bus crashes into something else, turning on it’s side.  Travis hears screams, gunfire and explosions, as he sorted himself.  

 

He pushes himself to his feet as bullets come through the floor of the bus.  He cursed in his head and raced to the back window of the bus where his shield lay waiting.  He rolled on the ground and grabbed his shield, hiding behind it quickly.  He directs some of the bullets back at the men shooting at him, he hardly looks, but he heard them go down.  Travis pushed towards the a man on the top of car with a big revolving gun.  He flipped over him, grabbing his head be bringing him down hard.

 

For a moment he takes shelter behind the car, hearing fire on the other side and above him.  He looked up to find Randi, holding her own and covering him.

 

“Go, I got you.”  She called from above.

 

Travis nodded and bolted off in the direction of the chaos. He charges when he sees the blonde man taking aim at something behind the car.  He assumes it’s Kate.  The soldier throws a punch with his metal arm, and Travis blocks with his shield.  There is a loud sound of contact, and Travis pulls away, only to be kicked back roughly.  

 

The man fired off a few more shots from his rifle, Travis curls behind his shield.  He hears a gun drop and he weaves away as the man fired off another gun.  Travis kicked the gun out the man’s hand, and shield himself from a few shots from a handgun.  He charged the soldier again with his shield, but the man knew how to fight.  He blocked blows and twisted Travis out of his shield and kicks him away.  Travis rolls to his feet, to find the man holding his shield expressively.  He growled and charged forward.

 

He narrowly avoided the man throwing the shield back at him, and glanced back to find it stuck in a van.  When he turned back the blonde man had reached for a knife and flipped it in the air.  They fought hand to hand, meeting and blocking each others move.  Somehow, Travis gets the upperhand and kicked him back into a truck, and kneed him in the face.

 

The man was dazzled for a second, and travis flipped him onto the ground by his metal arm.  His advantage didn’t last long.  The soldier managed to regain himself somehow, and grabbed Travis by the neck with his metal arms and squeezed, lifting him off the ground.  The man glared up at him, with an empty hate in his eyes, before he threw Travis over the hood of the truck.  

 

Coughing for breath, Travis hardly had time to collect himself.  His attacker jumped on the hood of the truck, before springing forward with a blow from his metal arm.  It cracked the asphalt where Travis’ head had been a moment before.  Travis spun to his feet, and took a few hits from the other.  

 

Travis was shoved into the van with his shield indented in the back.  The man produced his knife again, and Travis blocked the blows.  The blonde man went for his face, Travis blocked it with both his hand.  There was a whizzing from the man’s arm, and Travis moved his head as he was overpowered.   The knife sunk into the van, and the slide along it.  Travis ducked under the man’s arms as the knife came free from the metal.  He grabbed the other around the waist and slammed him down, before springing up to rip his shield free.  

 

Turning around, he was faced with attacks from the man again.  Punches, kicks, and knife attacks.  He blocked them as best he could.  He ducked again and slammed the edge of his shield into the man’s metal arm.  It does a significant amount of damage.  He reached for the man’s face mask and tossed him.

 

The blonde man rolled, landing on his feet still, and his mouth cover fell off.  Travis straightened up slightly to see who the man was.  The blonde turned to look at him, and Travis lost his breath.  There was no way it was possible, yet Travis had found himself in a time of the impossible.

 

“Wes?”  He breathed.

 

And there in front of him was Wes.  There was no denying it.  It was Wes’ face, and stance, and thinking back some of his fighting style.  He should have noticed, the way the man held the shield.  It was had been the way Wes held it after Travis explained everything to him.   I can’t believe you, Travis, what were you thinking.  A government experiment, a shield, God, I seriously can’t leave you alone for two minutes.  It was Wes.

 

Like he hadn’t aged a single day since he fell off the train.  

 

A million questions race through Travis’ head.

 

“Who the hell is Wes?”  Wes replied, in what was undoubtedly his voice.

 

It’s a crippling blow to Travis’ soul.  What did he mean ‘who the hell was Wes?’  How could he not know who he was?  Yet looking at Wes, there’s a blankness to his eyes.  Like he seriously doesn’t have a clue who or what he is.  Just that he exists.  More machine that human.  That’s not how it was suppose to be. That wasn’t how it was suppose to be at all.

 

Wes reaches for a gun, and Travis is frozen.  There’s a shout from above, and Randi comes flying out of no where with her mechanical wings and kicks Wes to the side.  She stumbles to a landing, but Travis is too busy staring at Wes.

 

The man looked at him harshly.  His eyes flicked away for a moment, and Travis can see there’s hesitation.  For a second there was a flicker of Wes coming to a world he didn’t understand, before being shoved back into the abyss.  The soldier came back, and reached for his gun.  He fired once, and Travis ducked behind his shield.

Suddenly there was an explosion, and Travis turned to see Kate leaning on an SUV with a gun.  He turned back, but Wes was gone.  Vanished like he had on the roof top.  Slipped away to God knows where

Travis didn’t have much time to dwell on anything.  Sirens pierce through the air.  Black SUVs come storming down the road, and “SHIELD” agents come pouring out of them.  Guns pointed and ready.  They don’t run.  Travis dropped his shield and held up his hand, let’s himself be manhandled by someone who he use to do missions with all the time.  He doesn’t care, his mind was still spinning from the sight of Wes.

 

\----  ----  ----

 

“It was him.”  Travis said after a while.  They had been put in a prison transport vehicle, bounded and subdued.  He had explained Wes, his friend Wes, being the Winter soldier just a few moments before to Randi and Kate.  Travis stared at the floor because he couldn’t look at them.  “It was him.  I know it, it was his face.  And he looked right at me and there wasn’t anything in his eyes.  He didn’t recognize me.”

 

“Okay, but how is that possible?”  Randi asked reasonably.  “I mean, it’s been seventy years.  I mean you froze in ice, but you have super soldier serum in you, so…”

 

“He was captured in the war by Hydra.”  Travis informed.  “His whole unit was.  I didn’t think anything of it because he was fine.”  Travis thought back to Wes dazed and strapped to the table Travis found him on muttering his id.   Sergeant three-seven-four-eight-eight…  Mitchell...is...is that...Travis?  Travis!    He should have noticed something then. But the smile on Wes’ face had been a moment of clarity.  “Whatever they did to him, must have helped him survive the fall.”  He turned away sharply.  “God, I should have know.”

 

 

“It’s not your fault Travis.”  Kate said levelly.

 

 

Travis huffed.  “When I had nothing, I always had Wes, no matter what.”

 

 

A silence sat on everyone for a moment.  Kate shifted and made a small pained noise.  Travis glanced up to find Randi looking at the wound, and sighing.

 

 

“Look she need a doctor or something.”  Randi snapped, turning to the armed guards in the back with them.  “If we don’t put pressure on that wound she’s going to bleed out.”

 

 

The guard closed to Randi suddenly charged their electric baton.  Randi swallowed for a moment, taking it as a sign to shut her mouth.  However, the guard suddenly hit the guard next to them.  Slamming them hard against the side of the as well and knocking them out.  Travis blinked and turned to guard.  

 

 

“God, that thing was squeezing my brain.”  Alex’s voice sounded as the guard peeled off their helmet. There was a beat then Alex turned to glanced at Randi before turning back to Travis.  “Who’s she?”  Another beat.  “You know what, save it, we need to get you guys out of here.”  She said producing a laser.  

 

 

\----  ----  ----

 

No one really talked as Alex drives.  Randi is assessing Kate, while Travis is in charge of keeping pressure on her wound.  Super human strength came in handy that way.  Kate made jabs about him crushing her shoulder, but Travis didn’t return anything, he just kept enough pressure.  

 

 

Alex drove them out of the city and to some damn or water facility.   Travis didn’t ask about it.  No one did, they just go.  Travis helps Kate and Randi out of the van they borrowed, and followed Alex inside.  Alex stormed in like she owned the place, but that’s how Alex was with her authority.

 

 

She called out medical terms down the hall as some doctor came from the depths of the dimly lit hallway.  However, she didn’t stop to let the doctor tend to Kate, saying they would want to see him first.  That catches their interest for a moment, and Kate looks at Travis, for a moment and tries to hurry her pace.

 

 

Alex leads them to a room where Sutton is laying on a hospital bed.  He grumbled at them.  Kate smiled widely, along with Alex.  Travis wanted to kick something, and he does.  He kicks some box lightly, not with the full strength that he wanted too.  He hoped it came off as boredom and not the fury he had inside.  Because, goddamnit everyone his whiteness die before his very eyes is really alive.  Not well, but alive.  It was frustrating.

 

 

Sutton explains to them what he did and why.  They what they’ve learned about what’s going to happen.  However, Sutton and Alex seemed to know most of it.  They explain their plan to help stop what is going to happen.

 

 

“We have to take all three carriers down.”  Alex explained.  “If one of them remains operational, a lot of people are still going to die,”

 

 

"And we have to assume everyone aboard those carriers is Hydra.”  Sutton added.  “We have to get through, entered the server cards, and maybe we can salvages something.”

 

 

“No, we’re not salvaging anything.”  Travis snapped harshly.  He couldn’t easily swallow his frustration with everything.  “We’re taking down everything, Sutton.   Everything!  The carriers, SHIELD.”

 

 

“SHIELD had nothing do with this, Marks.”  Sutton snapped.

 

 

“Yes it did.  Hydra played you.  It was under SHIELD’s nose the whole time, and no one noticed.”  Travis said pacing slightly.  “Look you gave me this mission and this is how we end it. End of story.  It’s all be compromised.”

 

 

“Why the hell do you think we’re in this dark hole?!”  Sutton snapped.  “I noticed.”

 

 

“But how many people paid the price before you did.”  

 

 

There was a silence.

 

 

“Travis, I didn’t know about Mitchell.”

 

 

“But if you did, would you have told me.  Or would that just have been compartmentalized on and need to know basics.”  Travis growled venomously.  “Don’t answer that.  I don’t want to know.  There is one thing I do know, and it’s that everything has to go.  SHIELD, Hydra, they’re one in the same.  Both of them have to go.”

 

 

“He’s right.”  Alex agreed in a sad tone.

 

 

Sutton glanced around for a moment in the heavy silence that followed.  He glanced at Randi who just held up her hands, and glanced at Travis.  Sutton glanced down at the table and gave a sigh.  He leaned back in the chair and gave Travis a long look.  “Looks like you're giving the orders again, Captain.”

 

 

Travis just nodded before he turned on his heels and walked out.  He needed some air.  He was glad he was able to call the shots on this mission, but everything was still eating at him.  Hydra, Wes, all the secrets in general.  He went to the top of the dam and let out a breath.  He struck at the railing before he leaned against it and looked out.  His drifted into his memories as he did so.

 

 

“ You know I looked for you after the funeral.”  Wes said keeping in step behind Travis.  He was dressed in a suit that was too nice for some street kids funeral.  “I talked my parents into letting me have the car so I could give you a ride to the cemetery.”

 

 

“Sorry,” Travis muttered as he started up the stairs to his apartment.

 

He knew it must of taken a lot for Wes to have gotten his parents to agree to something like that.  They didn’t approve much of Travis, but Wes didn’t go out of his way to make sure he got their approval.  After all he stuck by tiny troublesome Travis Marks, his sworn protector and attempted wrangler.

 

 

“I just wanted to be alone.”  Travis continued.

 

 

“How was it?”  Wes asked.

 

 

“Okay.” Travis sighed.  “He’s next to Money and the others.”  

 

 

“I was going to ask…”

 

 

“Don’t, Wes, I already know what you’re going to say.”

 

 

“Come one, Travis, we can put the couch cushions on the floor.  Like when we were kids.”  Wes said nudging at him slightly as Travis looked for his key.  “It will be fun.  All you have to do is shine my shoes, and maybe take out the trash once or twice.”  

 

 

Wes kicked over a brick that Travis kept a spare key under.  He leaned down to pick it up.  He held it out for Wes with his usual you’re-impossible-how-did-you-survive-this-long look he always wore when Travis did something stupid.  

 

 

“Come one Trav.”

 

 

“Thanks, Wes, but I can get by on my own.”

 

 

“But you don’t have too.”  Wes said simply, dropping his shoulder a bit.  He reached out and grabbed Travis’ shoulder, giving him a light shake.  “You’re stuck with me, ‘cause, I’m with you till the end of the line.”

 

 

Travis took a deep breath before he nodded.  He glanced up at Wes and smiled.  He could always count on Wes to be there and say the right thing.  Maybe one night over at his place wouldn’t be so bad. 

 

 

“You know he’s going to be there.”  Randi’s voice sounded suddenly, pushing the memory away.  

 

 

Travis shifted his weight from his arms to his feet, and swallowed before he turned to Randi.  He glanced down at his feet before he looked out again.  “I know.”

 

 

“Look who ever he was, the guy you use to know, I don’t think he’s there any more.  And that guy his is now, is not the kind you can save, he’s the kind you have to stop.”  Randi said levelly.

 

 

“I can’t do that.”

 

 

“You might not be given the choice.  You said it yourself, he didn’t know who you were.”

 

 

“Yeah, but he will.”  Travis said pushing himself off the railing.  “Go gear up, it’s time to move.”

 

 

“You going to do like that?  Jeans, a hurley, and a leather jacket.”

 

 

Travis smirked as he walked away.  He turned around and held out his arms.  “Come on Randi, you’re a soldier.  The bed’s a marshmallow when you come home, and when you go to war, you to have a uniform.”

 

 

“So you to run home really quick and pick yours up?”

 

 

“Something like that.”

 

 

\-----  -----  -----

 

 

Breaking into SHIELD headquaters was rather easy if one knew where to go.  Naturally Alex knew exactly where.  The Communication techs, level ones and level twos.  It didn’t matter how big the guns were or who was holding them, they’d do just about whatever they were told.  Their SHIELD training was hardly anything physical.  So when they knocked, they were naturally let right in with hands helped very high.

 

 

Communications was always another great place to hit if one wanted to deliver a message, and Travis had quite a messages to deliver.  Hydra, conspiracy, and everything that would just cripple SHIELD.  Ruin all the plans.  The truth.  All in some grand speech.  Wes would be proud if he remembered.

 

 

“You write that down, or did that just come off the top of your head.”  Randi asked cockly, and Alex snorted beside them.  

 

 

"What do you think?”  Travis asked in returned.  Randi just glared at him.  “Come on, let’s go, we don’t have much time.”  

 

 

Travis gave Randi a pat on the shoulder as he past her.  He could almost hear her roll her eyes, and there was a giggle from Alex as she slid into place at one of the desks.  Travis gave her one last goodbye as they ran out the door, and down the halls.  They made their way towards the ships as quick as they could.

 

  
They could hear chaos starting to break out as the two sides suddenly call to arms.  

 

 

“Our time table just moved up.”  Alex said over the coms. “They’ve started the launch sequence.”

 

 

Travis and Randi burst out into onto the runways full sprint.

 

 

“Hey, Cap, how do we know the good guys from the bad guys?”  Randi asked.

 

 

“If they shoot at you, they're probably bad.”  Travis answered.

 

 

The sound of the thrusters of Randi’s wings coming to life was heard.  Along with the sound of the winds slinging out into position, and she took flight while Travis jumped down.  He landed on his shield and rolled to his feet.  Almost immediately people started firing at him.  Quickly he darted towards some supplies to use as cover.

 

 

He easily took out a gun that rounded the corner of a crate.  Knocking him out with ease and stealing a grenade from him.   Travis pulled the pin and tossed it down the space between two crates where men were advancing.  It exploded and launched three men back.  

 

 

Explosions above him make Travis flinch a bit.  He heard Randi curse over the com.  “Find those bad guys who were talking about.”  Randi said.

 

 

“You okay?”  Travis asked, sparing a look up for her.

 

 

“Hey, it takes a little more than some explosions in the sky to knock me down.”

 

 

Travis smiled to himself, before he went barreling forwards.  He made his way through the carrier as quick he could.  Picking fights with guards and other times sneaking by, he had to make time.  He listens to Randi and Alex talk over the coms with updates.  He made it to the server console in decent time.  Travis punched in the code and took out the card, entering the one Alex gave him.

 

 

“One down, two to go.”  Alex said over the coms.  “Falcon, where are you.”

 

 

“On a detour, give me a moment.”  Randi snapped.  A few moments past as Travis made his way back to the top of the carrier.  “I’m in.”

 

 

“Alright, two down now.  Last one.”  Alex replies after a moment. There was the sound of gun shots over the coms. “Six minutes guys.”  

 

 

“Randi, I’m going to need a lift.”  Travis said as he hurried towards the edge of a carrier.

 

“Alright, Marks, let me know when you're ready.”

 

 

Travis jumped off the edge as something exploded behind him.  “I was ready five seconds ago.”

 

 

Randi cursed out a nice long sentence.  Travis could hear her dive, but he wasn’t exactly sure where she was in his free fall.  He reached out his hands.  He felt Randi’s gloved hand clasp around his.  The thrusters of her wings roared to life, and she let out a loud “Good god” as they shut up into the air and toward the third ship.  Randi dropped him on the desk and landed lightly behind him.  

 

 

“You’re a lot heavier then you look, you know that.”

 

 

“What can I say you make really good eggs.”  Travis returned.

 

 

Out of the corner of his eyes, Travis saw something move.  He hardly had time react.  He was suddenly thrown over the railing of the carrier with a force.  Cursed as he slide down the ship, catching a glance of Wes standing there.  Randi sounded after him, but he didn’t hear much after that.

 

 

He manded to grab the end of an engine thruster and heaved himself up.

 

 

“Travis you okay?”  Randi asked over the com.

 

 

“Yeah fine, I’m still on the carrier.”  Travis answered.  “Where are you?”

 

 

“Grounded, the suits gone.”  Randi said panting.  “Sorry, Cap.”

 

 

“It’s fine, I got it.”  Travis said before he hurried for a way into the ship.

 

 

He made his way quickly through the ship, and towards the central station of the systems.  He hurried down the ramp towards the center, before he stopped.  Wes was waiting for at the end of the ramp.  The cold, blank, unknowing look on his face.  There was an eerie patience to him as he stood there waiting.

 

 

“People are going to die, Wes,”  Travis said, like it will speak some sense to Wes.  

 

 

It doesn’t, Wes doesn’t even move, hardly even blinks.  Wes had always been kind at heart, even in war he had been kind.  To see him hardly bat an eye at the fact that people were going to die chilled Travis to the bone.

 

 

“I’m not going to let that happen.”  Travis continued.

 

 

Wes just stared.

 

 

“Come on, Wes, please don’t make me do this.”

 

 

Wes was silent again, but he tensed for an attack.  Travis sighed, but launched his shield at Wes, as they both charged forward.  The man blocked it with his metal arm grabbed a gun. 

 He fired off two shots as Travis caught his shield.  The collide on the narrow ramp.  Wes shoots his guns close range.  A bullet managed to catch Travis’ side.

 

 

Growling, Travis shoved at Wes hard with his shield and the man flew back.  He grunted, but got to his feet quickly.  Wes pulled out a knife and charged forward again.  Travis managed to wiggle his way onto the platform around the console as they thought closely.  He shoved Wes again, this time along the curve of the platform before race to enter the code.  

 

 

Travis turned just in time to block some blows from Wes.  Wes swung with the knife and it slides along the shield.  Some how he managed to get the knife under the shield, however Travis used the edge to prevent him from going further.  Wes growled at the action, and Travis kicked him away.  He turned and pulled the code key out.  Wes came back quickly, throwing a punch with his metal arm.  Travis’ shied sounded loudly at the impact.

 

 

Wes managed to drag him away from the console.  They throw and block for a while, but Wes managed to land a blow and sent Travis back into the railing.  Travis knocked him back as well.  Another sound of frustration came from Wes and he launched them both over the edge of the railing.  They fell down a level and the card slipped out of Travis’ hand, sliding just behind Wes.

 

 

Wes charged again, and lands some blows on Travis, before Travis turned them.  He slid down towards the card and snatched up.  Wes came sliding after him and knocked them off the lower level and onto the glass dome.   The landing knocked the card from Travis hand again.  He went for the card, and Wes went for his shield, throwing it at him harshly.  Travis grabbed the shield as Wes fired three shots at him.  

 

 

Travis threw his shield at Wes, but the man deflected it with his metal arm.  Wes charged him again, knife at the ready.  He swung and missed.  Travis grabbed Wes’ wrists as he stabbed down, but Wes managed to sink the knife into his shoulder.  Travis cried out in pain and head butted Wes twice.  Wes growled, and shoved Travis into a beam.

 

 

Yanking the knife out his shoulder, Travis turned to find Wes scrambling for the card.  He cursed and dove at the man.  He grabbed his wrist to stop him, before he grabbed Wes’ neck.  Wes made a hissing sort of sound and Travis thrust him into the air, before slamming him down against the glass.  He twisted Wes’ good arm away and pushed down.

 

 

“Drop it.  Drop it.”  Travis urged, but Wes just scrambled to get free.  Travis tightened his grip, there was a pop, and Wes screamed in pain, but he didn’t let go.  “God damn it Wes.”  Travis cursed as he flipped them into a choke hold.  

 

 

Wes squirmed more.  He grabbed on of Travis hand with his metal arm and started to pulled away.  For a second he let’s Wes have it, before he yanked it back.  Wes’ arm continued through the motion harshly, and Travis locked the arm under his leg.  Wes kicks for a moment more but then he goes limp and the card falls out of his hand.  

 

 

Quickly Travis let him go, releasing him from the hold.  He turned him on his stomach and grabbed the card.  He raced back to climb back up to the console.  

 

 

“One minute.”  Alex reminded over the com.  Travis jumped a bit at her voice, he had forgotten about the that that she was there.

 

 

Travis didn’t answer he as he raced up towards the platform.  A shot suddenly rang out and, Travis can feel the burn of a bullet wound in his leg.  He turned to find Wes on his feet and aiming a gun.  Cursing Travis quickly climbed up some machinery, even as Wes shot at him, and hurried towards the console.

 

 

“Thirty seconds, Cap!”  Alex reminded again.

 

 

Travis pulled himself up and quickly got out the card.  Another shot rang out, and this time he felt it go through his back and out his front.  He cursed as he fell to his knees.  He glanced at Wes to find him lowering his arm slowly.  He glanced down to see the blood on his midsection.  He took a moment to collect himself, before he pulled himself and slid the card in.

 

 

“Done.”  He breathed.

 

 

“Good, now get out of there Captain.”  Alex said.

 

 

“No fire now,”

 

 

“Travis…”

 

 

“I said fire now, Alex!”

 

 

No reply came from Alex, but the carrier suddenly rocked with impact.  Travis braced and stumbled along the railing, as glass and metal shattered and cracked.  There was a pained scream, and Travis turned to find Wes pinned under some fallen metal beam.  For the first time since he found out Wes was alive, there was an emotion on his face.  Wes was terrified, like a child who didn’t understand what was happening but knew it was bad.   Travis dropped down from the the platform to help Wes.

 

 

The blonde man stared at him for a moment, as Travis hobbled his way over.  Wes squirmed more when Travis neared, fruitlessly trying to lift the beam.  However he stopped for a moment when Travis tried to lift the beam as well, but was rocked back by the carrier being hit.  The carrier rammed into SHIELD headquarters as both of them tried to get the beam.

 

 

Finally there was some success, and Wes wiggled free.  The man panted as he pushed himself up and hugged his good arm close to his body.  

 

 

“Come on, Wes, you know me.”  Travis said as Wes turned to look at him.  

 

He terrified confusion gone.  It was replaced with a frustrated rage.  “No, I don’t!”  Wes yelled as he throw a punch with his metal arm.  It knocks both of them off balance.

 

 

“Wes,”  Travis said slowly.  “You’ve known me practically your whole life.”  Wes just throws a wild punch and again they stumble.  “You’re name is Wesley Andrew Mitchell.”

 

 

“Shut up!”  Wes yelled, swinging wildly again.

 

 

Travis stumbles to his feet and pulls off his helmet.  Wes rose to his feet as well, panting in a crazed, cornered animal sort of way.  “I’m not going to fight you.”  Travis said dropping his shield.  It felt through a hole in the glass and into the water below.  “You’re my friend.”

 

 

There was another second of hesitation, but Wes yelled and tackled Travis to the ground.  “You’re my mission.”  Wes growled coldly.  He throws controlled jabs after that to Travis’ face.

 

 

Suddenly though, they slowed, and Wes is staring at him with wide eyes.  The hesitation was back, only this time it wasn’t a split second, it was more.  Like Wes suddenly came to his senses and saw what he had done.  But there was still a lost blank look in his eyes.  He doesn’t remember, but there’s something happening.

 

 

“Come on, finish it.”  Travis ordered weakly.  Wes pulled his arm back like he was going to.  “Cause, I’m with you till the end of the line.”

 

 

Wes stopped, and his eyes shift.  The words spark something in him.  There is a panic to Wes, and confusion, and he’s drowning in it, desperately trying to sort through his head.  It’s still not Wes, and there is still a blankness, but it’s not so...programmed.  It human.  Lost and confused.

 

 

Wes started to lower his arm, and it seems like he’s going to let Travis help, because he has the keys to his mind, his identity.  However, they don’t get a chance, something came crashing down.  The glass shattered out from under them.  Travis doesn’t make an attempt to catch himself, he just lets himself fall.  He sees Wes dangling, with his blank lostness.  Travis closed his eyes as he fell back.

 

 

This is what it must have been like for him.  He thought briefly before he hit the water.  He lets himself sink, because he did his job.  Save the world and Wes, which was better than last time.  His eyes flicker open for a  moment to see something come towards him through the bubbles, but then he fades away.

 

 

\----  ----  ----

 

Travis comes too in a room he didn’t recognize, with a song he’s never heard playing.  He glances around and realized it was a hospital room.  There was a sudden sound of a dog yawning to his right.  He turned to find Randi there flipping through some magazine.   

 

 

“Oh you’re left.”  Travis muttered weakly with a grin.

 

 

“Asshole.”  Randi replied with a smile.

 

\----  ----  ----

 

 

 

A sound in the middle of the night wakes him up.  He scrambled awake, ready to yell at Kate to go home, he was fine.  However when he opened his eyes he didn’t see Kate anywhere in the room.  In fact he didn’t see anyone.  

 

Travis sat up with a bit of a grunt.  His bullet wound to the stomach was still healing, but everything else was fine.  He glanced around the room to be extra sure there wasn’t anything in the room.  There was still a guard stationed outside his room, and nothing seemed to be disturbed.  He shook it off, figuring it was a dream or a nurse outside that woke him.  Yet as he moved himself back into the bed, he felt something fall against his arm.  He stiffened before he turned to look at it.

 

 

He found it was a pamphlet for his exhibit at the Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian.  He let out a breath and glanced it over briefly before he moved to place it on one of the side tables.  That was when he saw the handwriting that made him pause.

 

 

End of the line, Trav.  -Sergeant 37488 Mitchell, Wes

 

 

Travis paused for a moment and stared.  He ran his fingers over the scribble that he remembered was Wes’ so perfectly.  He let out a breath before he placed the side table.  

 

 

“Ada boy, Wes.”  Travis whispered to the blackness as he curled up back in bed.  “Keep at it, I’ll find you and we’ll figure this out.”

 

 

“Travis…,” came a whisper from the darkness, like someone remembered it, yet didn’t know the meaning.  Travis didn’t move, he acted like he didn’t hear and he was sleep. “Don’t.”

 

 

When are you going to learn I never listen to you, Wes.

 

 

\----  ----  -----

 

Travis and Randi meet Sutton at his grave with Hudson by their side.  Sutton grumbled about the grave, before he said he was leaving for Europe.  Apparently Hydra was still a lingering problem to handle, but not for Travis.

 

 

“You want to come?”  Sutton asked.  

 

 

“No, I have something to do.”  Travis respond, earning a frown from Sutton.

 

 

"What about you Randi, I could used someone with your skills.”

 

 

“Soldier not a spy, no offence but I’m sticking with him.”  Randi said.  “Plus, Hudon would have to come with me.”

 

 

Sutton smirked but nodded.  “I’ll see you around, I guess.”  Sutton said holding out his hand for them to shake before he walked off.  

 

 

“You should feel honored, that handshake is as close to a thank you as you’re going to get.”  Kate chucked as she approached from behind the gravestone.  “Have fun in Europe.”  She called over them at Sutton, he waved her off.

 

 

“You’re not going with him?”  Travis asked.

 

 

“No.”  Kate said lowly.  “And I’m not saying here.  I blew everything, so I have to go figure out a new one cover.”

 

 

“That could take bit.”

 

 

“I hope so.” Kate smiled out, before she dropped it.  “That favor you asked me, I called in a few favors of my own and got you this.”  She said holding out rather thick file for him.  Travis took it with a sigh.  “Do me a favor and date someone, you’re flirting is irritating.”

 

 

“You like me flirting.”

 

“I like you making a fool of yourself.”  Kate smiled.  “Take care of yourself, Travis.  I’ll see you around, count on it.”  She started to talk away, before she paused and turned around.  “Be careful, though, you might not want to pull on that thread.”

 

 

Travis glanced down at the file in his hand.  He opened it.  The first thing was Wes in some sort of chro chamber, with a military picture of Wes at the bottom clipped to the corner.  All clean cut and perfect.

 

 

“You’re going after him, of course.”  Randi said with a knowing tone.

 

 

“You don’t have to come.”  Travis pointed out as he closed the folder.

 

 

“I know.”  Randi said, and Hudson made a sound between them.  “Tell me when you want to start.”

 

 

“I already started.”  Travis informed as he started walking away.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I might so some more after this, this was basically the movies. I might venture into fanfic territory of sorts because I can.


End file.
